


Rhythms

by LiseyLou



Category: Cardinal (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25132900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiseyLou/pseuds/LiseyLou
Summary: Cardinal & Delorme finally admit how they feel - so what now?
Relationships: John Cardinal & Lise Delorme, John Cardinal/Lise Delorme
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First ever post so please be kind! I don't own any of the characters or the show unfortunately or I would have written a love scene for us all to enjoy! Spoilers for the final series of Cardinal.

As he gripped the handle of his hotel room door he sighed and knew it was now or never. Kelly's words replayed in his head - "..you can't just let Lise walk out of your life." It had shocked him that his daughter knew what he was feeling and recognised the tension between him and his partner. He turned as he heard the door to her room click open and said,

"I....uh..." She looked up at him expectantly as he struggled to get the words out. "I don't want to you leave".

His knuckles were white on the door handle now as if it were a life preserver and he was drowning. She looked back at him and smiled,

"I know". 

Well of course she knew, she knew him well enough by now. As he waited for her to respond, she simply opened her door and walked into the room. His stomach dropped - he must have been crazy just to blurt it out like that, I mean how could he think that she would even - as he stopped babbling internally he noticed she was standing in the doorway of her room, waiting for him to follow her in. He started to move and released his death grip on the door handle. He walked into her room and she seemed to let out a breath she'd been holding as the door closed behind him. She shrugged out of her heavy coat and took off her boots and socks. As he took off his own coat and laid it on the chair she finally spoke to him.

"John, I don't know what to do about this..." 

She gestured between them, pressing her lips together as she looked down at the floor. How small she looked to him now that she was in her bare feet - and how vulnerable. He noticed that her toe nails were painted cherry red and for some reason the fact that no one else she'd come into contact with today knew that except him thrilled him beyond measure. He moved to her slowly and gently cupped her cheek in his hand. She leaned into his touch and seemed to enjoy the feel of his rough hand against her soft skin. The truth was he didn't know what to do either. As he felt her tentatively put her warm hands on his waist underneath his suit jacket.

"Lise, I don't think we have to have all the answers tonight." 

His other hand came up to cup her other cheek to hold her in place as she tightened her grip on his waist and sighed.

"You're here and I'm here - that's all that matters for right now." 

He opened his arms and she walked willingly into his embrace, tucking her head beneath his chin. He rubbed her back soothingly for a moment and then pulled back to look into her eyes.

"May I kiss you?" 

As soon as the words were out of his mouth she threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his. He ran his hands down her back and gathered her against him, deepening the kiss and making her whimper as his tongue stroked against hers. She pushed his suit jacket over his shoulders and it fell to the floor with a whoosh. Lifting his shirt out of his pants she dipped her fingers beneath it and ran her hands up his strong back making him shiver.  
If he'd had any doubts that they were moving too fast they were most definitely gone now. He was relieved to see that she wanted this as much as he did and there was no longer any need to pretend otherwise. He bent his knees and picked her up easily causing her to squeak into his mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Now they were face to face and Lise could wrap her arms around his neck tightly, never wanting to let go. 

She broke the kiss and burrowed her head into the crook of his neck in a gesture that was so tender it nearly broke his heart. This wasn't just sex, not an itch to be scratched - it was that word that he couldn't even bring himself to think about at this moment in time. He carried her over to the bed like that and set her down onto her feet. She pulled his tie off and began to unbutton his shirt as he kicked his boots off haphazardly. She chuckled as he nearly fell over and he looked up at her rolling his eyes at his own clumsiness. She got his shirt all the way off and then he raised his arms up for her to pull his under shirt off as well. Once it was discarded behind him he gasped as her hands smoothed down his chest to his stomach learning the feel of his skin for the first time. 

His pants were starting to get very tight and his only hope was that he wouldn't make a fool of himself before they had really started. She was about to start on his belt when he finally regained control of his arms, he gently batted her hands away and impulsively took her hair down until it fell around her shoulders. She laughed and shook her hair out. He had only seen her hair like that once before - she had been called into work after being on a date. He had apologised for calling her away but she said the guy couldn't stop talking - he remembered that he'd have been nervous too if his date had turned up looking like that.

"You like my hair down, don't you?" she remarked as he combed his hands gently through her soft locks. 

He nodded and bent down to kiss her once more before grabbing the hem of her top and pulling it gently over her head to reveal a lacy, delicate looking bra. He groaned at the sight and began to kiss down from her neck to her chest, mumbling,

"How am I ever supposed to look at you wearing clothes again!" 

He felt the rumble in her chest as she laughed at that. As he pulled up to look at her she smoothed her hands over his broad chest again and said,

"How do you think I feel!" as her lips replaced her hands. She kissed across his chest and down his abdomen as she undid his belt.

They worked together to get each of their pants off until they were standing in their underwear. John puffed out a breath and grabbed her by the waist, throwing her on the bed. She fell back, giggling at his sudden eagerness and reached for him as he crawled over her - his body was so long he covered her completely.

He couldn't quite believe he was in bed with Lise Delorme - it was like a dream he never wanted to wake up from. He gazed at her face for a moment before taking her hand in his and planting several soft kisses to her knuckles. She ran her other hand through his short hair and pulled him to her for a long kiss. As he adjusted himself to be cradled between her legs his arousal brushed her centre making them both moan. He pressed his forehead against hers for a moment and then began to kiss down her body. Sitting back on his knees, he pulled the straps of her bra slowly down her shoulders and felt behind her back for the clasp. After a few seconds he grunted in frustration, 

"Do you want me to go and get your glasses?" she teased playfully.

His face softened and he laughed out loud. It was possibly the first time she had heard such a laugh come from him and her face was a picture of delight. She took pity on him and reached awkwardly behind her back and undid the clasp. He pulled the bra from her body and dropped it on the floor beside the bed as his eyes widened at the sight before him. Emboldened, he took the opportunity to also rid her of her underwear which joined her discarded bra on the floor. She looked away and bit her lip shyly as he sat back on his knees to look her over, 

"Oh my God, how beautiful you are Lise." John exclaimed. 

He knew she would be of course but actually seeing her naked before him, her cheeks flushed red with arousal and a little embarrassment - her chest red from the attentions of his scruffy beard, was something else entirely. He crawled up to her head and captured her lips with an urgency that made her desire increase to a fever pitch. How was he going to be around her and not kiss her ever again? As his rough hands cupped her bare breasts for the first time she gasped and dug her nails into his shoulders.  
That would leave a mark, he thought as he hissed at the pain, but really who cares. He took her nipple into his mouth circling it with his tongue and then scraping his teeth across it gently causing her to cry out and arch her back off the bed. As he lavished attention on her breasts he noted how the noises she made changed with the different way he squeezed them with his hand or licked them with his tongue and he tried to remember them all. Maybe this would be a one time thing and he was determined to make it last for as long as possible.

He finally moved to kiss down her body and enjoyed her deep laugh as he dipped his tongue into her belly button unexpectedly. He trailed his index finger down from her stomach to hover over her centre. She nodded her consent as he dipped one finger inside her wet folds. Her reaction to this new sensation was honestly the most beautiful thing he had even seen. He couldn't believe how wet she was already and took a few deep breaths to try to control himself from coming then and there. He slowly added another finger as he began to steadily pump them in and out. As he settled between her legs, he momentarily removed his fingers and began to leave hot kisses on her inner thighs. 

Feeling playful he sucked hard on the soft skin on her thigh for a moment and left a small hickey. When she realised what he'd done she threw her head back and laughed heartily. He admired his work and gestured to her nail marks on his shoulders.

"Fair's fair, Lise" he said with a wink. 

He locked his eyes on hers as he finally moved to where she desperately needed him to go. His tongue darted out into her swollen folds a few times and she threaded her hands through his hair as she moaned softly. He increased his movements, holding onto her thighs for dear life as she began to writhe around like a demon possessed. 

"John...John please oh God I am so close, don't stop!" 

As he devoured her he put his fingers back inside her and she threw her head back with a shout. He felt her tighten around his fingers and her moans were a litany of profanity, his name and whatever that was in French. As she came down from her high he continued to carefully place hot open mouthed kisses to her thighs and she looked down at him just as he drew his fingers into his own mouth to lick them clean. She smiled at him and pulled him up to meet her lips with a lazy, sloppy kiss, tasting herself on his lips and tongue. She wrapped her legs around his waist as she ran her fingers through his hair,

"How dare you be so sexy," she breathed, biting her lip as he peppered kisses all over her face. He laughed and ran his hands over every inch of her that he could reach. 

"If you say so, I'll believe you" he said almost bashfully as she gazed at him.

"It's time these came off" 

She hooked her toes into the waistband of his boxers and began to shimmy them down his legs until he was able to kick them off the end of the bed with a grunt. With her legs around his waist she gained enough leverage to roll them over so that she was sitting astride him. At this angle his arousal suddenly met her still sensitve centre and the feeling was electric. She threw her head back and moaned in pleasure as he gripped her hips, pulling her to him tightly. She slipped her hand between them and ran her fingers over his cock. He hissed at the contact and and watched her as she sat back further on his legs and began to slowly pump him in her hand. As she drew him into her mouth as much as she could he never wanted the feeling to end. However, before long he felt that familiar pressure building inside of him and knew he had to stop her. 

"Lise.." he said in a tone of voice he could scarcely believe came out of his own mouth, "I don't know how long I'm going to last if you keep doing that! It's been a long time for me..and God knows how long it would take me to recover!" 

He sat up and gathered her into his arms pressing his lips to hers once more. She put her arms around his neck and sighed contentedly into his mouth.

"I really want to make love to you tonight." He admitted as he dared to look into her eyes.

They were brimming with tears at his honesty and, he guessed, the gravity of what they were doing. He gently chased a few stray tears that had spilled over onto her cheek with his tongue and rubbed her back soothingly. He didn't realise he meant 'make love' until the words left his mouth. Looking at her tenderly as she stroked his face he knew for sure that's what they were doing. 

"It's been a long time for me too," she admitted, gazing at him. "So maybe we can just cut to the good part and leave the rest for some other time?" 

As she began to position herself over him he squeezed her arm and seemed to curse, 

"What's wrong?" she said, slightly panicked. 

"I don't have any protection sweetheart." He shook his head, thinking about where he could get some at 1am on a Wednesday night. His mind began to go into overdrive. If he had to get dressed and leave the room, maybe she'd have time to think about this and decide it wasn't what she wanted after all. What then? 

"Its alright, I'm on the pill. If its ok with you?" 

He signed in relief and nodded, releasing his gentle hold on her arm, giving her leave to continue. In a second she was sinking slowly onto him until she was filled completely.  
They panted as their foreheads touched, arms tightly holding eachother seemingly unable to get close enough. Her trying to adjust to his length inside her, him trying not to have a heart attack. He had not been buried inside a woman like this for several years. The medication Catherine took mostly robbed her of her sex drive so towards the end of her life they had been little more than roomates if he was being totally honest and of course there had been no one since.

Slowly Lise began to rotate her hips and if this was how he was going to die then so be it. He knew he should start to move but he never wanted this feeling to end. He squeezed her tightly in his arms and she moaned into his mouth as he captured her lips. He began to buck into her and her breath came out in shudders. The only sound in the room was their collective moans as they raced towards the finish line together.

John knew he wasn't going to last much longer so he whispered to her, "Hold tight to me sweetheart" 

As she complied he turned them so that she was on her back across the middle of the bed. She wrapped her legs high around his waist as his own hips began to thrust more urgently to bring on their release. He snaked his hand between them and rubbed against her clit making her moan more loudly that she had so far.

"Lise, can I? I mean should I pull out, when I come?" He managed to choke the words out against her lips but she instantly tightened her legs around him. 

"No, come inside me John." He didn't know if she meant for that to sound like a plea but he decided it didn't matter as he felt her start to shake apart. 

Only then did he feel confident enough to let himself go too. Finally she pressed her lips to his neck, as she reached her climax and buried her cries of pleasure right there. They stayed still for several long moments trying to regain their senses. She stroked the hair that was now sticking to the back of his neck and he squeezed her tightly to him as though she would slip from his arms if he didn't.

They shared a long, lazy kiss and John released one of his arms in order to clasp her hand bringing it between them to kiss her knuckles. 

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

"Far better than just alright!" She smiled affectionatly up at him. 

She absentmindedly began to stroke her fingers up and down his side. He dipped his head down to kiss her again and could not honestly remember a time when they hadn't kissed at this point. Finally he moved off her body and lay flat on his back beside her, still holding her hand. They lay beside each other in somewhat of a stunned silence before Lise motioned for them to move to the head of the bed. Then she reached down to pull the sheets up over them both and snapped off the light. She tucked herself against his side as his arm came around her once more. She felt his lips press to her forehead. She didn't want to say anything for fear of breaking the spell. He seemed to sense the same thing so he simply drew lazy circles on her back until his breathing evened out and he'd fallen asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

She woke up several hours later and noticed it was still dark outside. She smiled ruefully at the realisation that she had neglected to close the curtains which made her grateful that they were ten floors up and they hopefully hadn't given anyone a free show. He was lightly snoring now but still held her in his arms. How young he looked, she thought when he didn't seem to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

She carefully extricated herself from his embrace and he sprawled to the middle of the bed as she padded over towards the light coming from the bathroom. The floor was covered in various items of both of their clothing. She picked them all up and laid his things over the arm of the chair to minimise the wrinkles for the morning, wincing when his phone fell from his pocket onto the carpet. She looked up at him but he never moved. She set the phone onto the coffee table. Getting dressed quietly she slipped out of the room to go for a cigarette.

It was freezing but there was some heat rising up from the pool as she lit the cigarette and took a long drag. She couldn't help but think about what had just transpired. She had sex with John - no, she had made love with John Cardinal. That's what he called it and that's what it seemed to her to be. And oh my God, how wonderful it was - she licked her lips as she thought of how he had kissed them not long ago. How eager he had been to make her come and how he had made every inch of her his. She pressed her thighs together, still in slight disbelief that John Cardinal had indeed gone down on her. But now there was this feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away. She had just accepted a new job and was moving hours away from him. She couldn't go back to the way things were now, there was no way. Could they manage to be together, even in some kind of long distance relationship? Would he even want that?

She heard the door open and looked up to find him huddling his coat around himself to ward off the chill as his eyes found hers. He smiled that slow easy smile he always gave her and walked over to sit beside her. She was stunned when he took the cigarette from her hand and took a drag from it himself. She thought he was just going to stub it out, as he had done before. He puffed out the smoke and chuckled, tossing the cigarette away. He nudged her shoulder before wrapping his arm around her as she leaned into him. They sat in silence for a minute before he took her hand in his, rubbing it to warm it.

"Come on, let's go in, it's freezing. If we're lucky we could have a few more hours of rest before we have to get on the road"

She silently agreed and held onto his hand all the way back to her room. She was relieved when he followed her in - she thought he might have suggested going back to his own room. Instead he stripped his clothes off and slipped naked between the sheets into the bed once more.

His eyes met hers as she took her top off. She regarded him for a moment, bare chested in the bed they had made love in several hours ago and her desire for him pooled inside her once again. He sat up against the head board and watched her. Once down to just her panties, she noticed he was breathing as quickly as she was so she asked, 

"Should I leave these on?"

"Take em off," he said in a rough voice as he shook his head. 

She slowly slid them down her legs and stepped out of them, keeping her eyes on him the whole time. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed with the sheet covering his burgeoning erection. He held his hand out for her to come to him. Once she was near him enough to take his hand he tugged on it so that she'd collapse into his lap. He need not have been so worried about his recovery time because he was clearly ready for her once again. She was beyond excited at the thought of having him inside her again so soon. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a searing kiss that seemed to ignite him even further. He pulled the sheet from his lap, leaving nothing between them.

She carefully leant her knees on either side of him and settled her centre on top of his erection, so that she was merely sliding her slick folds along his length. The friction was delicious, leaving them both breathing hard. He stroked his hands down her back and gently tugged her hair so that her head would fall back, giving his mouth access to her breasts. She gasped at the action and was continually surprised at the kind of lover John Cardinal had turned out to be. She watched through hooded eyes as he lavished attention on her breasts - her moans becoming louder with every swipe of his tongue. 

She pulled him up for a kiss and after a moment pulled away breathlessly, "Please make love to me again John".

He gripped her hips and slid easily inside her. They both cried out and as he began to urgently thrust inside her. This time would be hard and fast satisfiying both their needs. She dug her nails into his shoulders again making new marks and he pulled back to look at her face. 

"Lise, are you ok?"

"Yes! Yes, more John please more - I'm going to come like this, please come inside me again." 

She pleaded with him between moans. Her own movements increased to the point where they were both desperate for the release - the sensation too good to last much longer. John grabbed her hips making their movements more directed and finally felt her clench around him. It was all he needed to follow her over the edge. He gave her a long kiss as they came down from their high - squeezing her firmly in his arms. He rested his head on her chest and she stroked his head. Her heart was pounding, just like his - matching rhythms.

In the morning with the night's actions still on both of their minds they sat silently in the car as John drove them back to Alconquin Bay. Both feeling they should say something but not knowing exactly what. Instead they engaged in small talk mostly about the case and all too soon they arrived at her place so that she could freshen up before returning to the precinct. John turned the engine off and gripped the wheel tightly.

"I think we need to...um..."

"Yes, we do need to talk." she finished for him, understanding what he meant.

"But first we need to finish this case - then we can sort it all out" She reached out to take his hand from the wheel and held in her own momentarily before kissing his knuckles softly.

"I'll see you in a little while" He nodded squeezing her hand before they both let go.

The cold air hit them as she got out, pausing to take her bag from the back seat and smiling shyly at him as she walked to the front door. She watched him pull away before she closed the door and ran up the stairs in a giddy mood. As she freshened up she knew that she had to put her head into the case but she allowed herself a few moments to remember how he had felt against her as they had slept naked.

How she had woken up to see his face hovering over her - how he'd kissed her thoroughly before jumping out of bed, and all that had happened between them. She took a deep breath as she opened the door to the office and sat at her desk she noted that he wasn't in yet. She started her computer up and greeted everyone else. A little while later her partner had strolled into the office smiling at everyone and greeting them all in his usual way. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to be swarming as he smiled at her. How was she going to get through this day?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd welcome your feedback and comments!!


	3. Chapter 3

As she closed the door behind her she let the emotions of the last 48 hours or so wash over her. She had made love with John, she had been shot twice (thankfully neither bullet making it through her vest), she and Commanda had got to Taj and Mena in time and Scott Reilly was dead. As she made her way through her apartment through the dark, shedding her heavy clothing, she was disappointed that John hadn't come to her. She thought he may have turned up at the hospital but he hadn't contacted her since he watched the ambulance doors close. McLeod had dropped her home and she had a suspicion that he knew something had happened between her and Cardinal. As she turned on the shower and stepped into the spray she winced and looked down at her side. It had already began to blacken - her rib thankfully hadn't been cracked after all, just badly bruised.

She was cold to the bone and ached all over. She stood still and let the hot water soothe her tired muscles and was already looking forward to taking the strong painkillers the doctor had given her and falling into bed. Dyson confirmed she had the next few days off and she intended to be asleep for most of them. As she dried herself off and slipped on an old tshirt and pair of shorts that she now slept in, her hands passed a mark on her inner thigh. She sighed, tracing it softly and thinking back to how she came by it the night before. She had dug her nails into his shoulders and he had playfully retaliated by giving her a hickey - somewhere he knew no one but him would see it. 

As she dried her hair off roughly with a towel she began to worry that he had changed his mind. That once they had returned home reality had set in and he no longer wanted to pursue any kind of relationship with her. But when they had been in the car, he had caressed her hand as it had rested on the centre console and he looked at her the way he had before he had kissed her for the first time. She cursed herself for letting her mind go overboard like this and resolved to get to bed.  
She padded barefoot into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She remembered the painkillers were in her coat pocket and her coat had been discarded on the stairs as she came in. She sighed and went to pick it up, taking the pills and her phone from the pocket. She had two missed calls from Cardinal and then a text,

"Are you home yet? I hope you are ok x"

She sat down on the stairs and dialed his number. He answered it and the sound of his voice calmed her immediately.

"Hi, I'm so sorry to have missed your calls. I came home and went straight to the shower to warm up." 

"That's ok - what did they say about your rib, is it cracked?" He said sounding concerned.

"Just badly bruised apparently - they did an x-ray." She confirmed as she heard him sigh with relief.

There was a pause and neither knew what to say for the best. She rolled her eyes at how bad they both were at being honest regarding their feelings.

"I was going to come over but I didn't know if you'd want me to or I dunno...." he said awkwardly.

She smiled and tried to supress a laugh so as not to deter him from speaking.

"Is it too late for me to come over now? I know you must be exhausted and I am too but I would like to just....be with you."

"I'd like that." She paused then added "will you stay?" 

"Of course - I'll be there soon." He said as he hung up.

She sat on the stairs for a minute longer and then got up to do a quick tidy around the place. She was just swallowing her pain meds as the doorbell rang. He shrugged out of his coat and put it over a chair at the kitchen table and took a long look at her in her t-shirt and shorts. Her hair was still a little damp and wavy, framing her face - she was so beautiful he thought.

"You're so beautiful" 

She closed the cupboard door and turned to face him smiling. He moved over to her and carefully folded her into his arms, wary of her injury. She relaxed into his embrace and let out a long breath against his warm chest. 

"I'm so glad you came over," She admitted as she drew back from him enough to look into his eyes.

"Sorry I hesitated" he said with a frown. She shook her head and grazed the back of her hand over his cheek softly.

He leaned down to press his lips to hers and felt her relax even further against him. She allowed him to deepen the kiss and moaned softly as their tongues met in a lazy dance. They swayed in the embrace for a moment before sighing contendedly - resting their foreheads together.

"Bedtime, sweetheart" he said firmly. 

He reluctantly released her from his arms and let her lead him by the hand into the dark bedroom. He pulled the covers back to let her climb in and smoothed them around her as she settled down. Then he stripped down to his boxers and tshirt and slipped in beside her. Immediately she wrapped herself around him, tangling their legs together and he kissed her softly before she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She was safe with him.

She began to stir and gingerly moved to see if her bruised ribs would protest. They didn't as much as she expected so she opened her eyes and looked over at the clock - 11.45am! She loved to sleep late but didn't always get the chance. John was still asleep so she burrowed a little further under the covers and cuddled around him tightly. He stirred then and chuckled at her movements.

"Good Morning sunshine" he said as he gave her a gentle squeeze in his arms.

"Good Morning" she replied as she tilted her head up to kiss him. 

As he attempted to deepen it, she pulled away slightly, 

"I have to brush my teeth." 

He held her more firmly and laughed.

"I don't give a damn if you have bed breath! So do I but I want to kiss you so come here" he ordered as he crushed his lips to hers leaving her breathless.

He rolled her onto her back and kissed her thoroughly. She trapped him between her legs and squeezed until he broke the kiss laughing. At that precise moment both of their stomachs reminded them that it was time to eat.

Lise put some coffee on whilst John opened the fridge. She walked over and shoo'd him away, motioning for him to sit down.

"I'm making breakfast - you're drinking juice" she said placing a glass of orance juice in front of him.

"Hey I can help!" he protested weakly.

"I know you can but I want to cook breakfast for you." She said as she set out various ingredients and cooking untensils.

As she lit the gas ring on the hob with her back to him, she almost whispered, 

"I want to take care of you." She bit her lip and felt ridiculous for having said such a thing.

He was floored by her quiet statement. Previously he had always been the cook, the cleaner, the breadwinner, the caregiver - all of that because his wife simply had not been well enough. As the years went on he did all of those things without even thinking about it. Now he didn't have to because here was this woman telling him that she wanted to do all of that for him. He looked down at the glass of juice in his hand trying to fight back the tears that had threatned to spill down his cheeks.  
They ate in a companiable silence and then he sat back in his chair, watching her drain her coffee cup and sigh contentedly. He covered her hand with his own, unable to find the words to tell her how grateful he was for what must have seemed like such a simple gesture to her. She smiled warmly at him and said, 

"You know you have something just at the corner of your lip...I'll get it." and quickly reached up to kiss the corner of his mouth playfully. He caught her by the wrist and pulled her, giggling, into his lap.

"I think we should go back to bed." He said with a wink.

"Lead the way" She winked back and squealed as he lifted her bridal style and carried her easily back into the bedroom, setting her down in the middle of the bed.

He stood up and pulled off his t-shirt as she sat back against the pillows. Instead of climbing onto the bed next to her he perched down at her feet with his hands on her ankles.

"What are you doing?" She asked 

"Exploring" He replied, looking up at her with hooded eyes as he began to caress her calf muscles and kissed behind her knee. 

Slow but exquisite torture which made her wet with anticipation. Settling on his stomach between her legs, his elbows supporting his weight he traced every line and freckle on each leg with his fingers and then his tongue.

"So many freckles" he stated as he came to a small dark scar on her right knee.

"What's this?" he asked as he looked up at her.

"I fell off my bike when I was 10 and my knee scraped along the road - I had to get stitches." 

She said matter of factly, wishing his expedition would speed up a little. He made a sad face and kissed the scar tenderly. Moving to her inner thigs he began to leave open mouth kisses as she moaned softly. She shut her eyes and bit her lip, 

"John..." she breathed as his hands caught the waistband of her shorts and pulled them down her legs and off onto the floor.

He came to the hickey he had given her and smiled, tracing it lightly with his index finger.

"Now what kind of crazed lunatic would do a thing like this?" He smiled up at her.

"I wonder..." she said as he finally got to where he was going and nuzzled his face at her centre.

She puffed out a breath as she squirmed under his hands. This was one of his new favourite things to do he had decided. He loved watching and feeling her body react to his ministrations and right now he was more than ready to plunge inside her but he wanted to do this for her, he wanted to see her come. So he continued as her moans began to get louder, her breathing more eratic. She ran her hands through his hair to anchor herself to something.

"John, please, I'm so close" she said shakily and he slowly pushed his two fingers inside of her as he continued to use his mouth to tease her clit.

"Oh...OHHH" he couldn't help but smile as her orgasm leveled out and she sank back boneless onto the pillows.

He eased his fingers out slowly still carefully mouthing at her as she came down from her high. On an impulse he sucked them clean as he had done the first time they had made love and she regarded him with a puzzling look.

"What?" he asked

"I was just wondering why you do that? I've never seen a man do it before" she answered honestly.

Now he was a little embarrased as he stroked up and down her thigh. She nudged her thigh underneath his hand.

"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable" She said feeling bad for even mentioning it.

He pulled himself up to kiss her on the lips and wrapped his arms around her.

"I just, like the way you taste" He shrugged.

She smiled at him as she stroked his bearded chin and pecked him on the lips before saying, 

"Switch" and she moved so that he was lying on his back and she was hovering over him, careful not to join at her still sensitive core or she knew she would lose her focus entirely.  
She shuffled back unti she was at his feet, mirroring the position he had started in with her.

"My turn to explore"

He felt a little exposed and self-concious. He hadn't been with many women and the ones he had been with had never wanted to explore his body.

She ran her hands up his calves and he tensed slightly. She looked up at him to see him frowning.

"What is it?" She asked, concerned.

"I..um..." He looked down at his hands and couldn't get the words out.

Her face softed at his vulnerability.

"Would you rather I didn't?" She asked him.

"I want...I want you to do whatever you want, it's just..." Still unable to look at her he shook his head, annoyed with himself.

"Turn over on your stomach..please?" She asked quietly.

He complied and propped a pillow beneath his chin. She sat down on his hips and ran her hands up his back to his shoulders. He tensed at first but as she repeated the motion several times she felt his muscles relax beneath her finger tips. He sighed and closed his eyes. It occurred to her as she carefully worked out the kinks in his tired muscles that no one had paid him this type of attention before and that's why he freaked out a little. But he was letting her - he trusted her. He loved her, she suddenly realised. Her heart tightened and she knew that she loved him too. She leant down and kissed the back of his neck and over his shoulders. He hummed in contentment and reached his hand around to stroke her thigh.  
"Thank you sweetheart." He told her as she kissed his cheek and then his lips. The angle was awkward but neither of them cared much.

"I just want to make you feel as good as you made me feel. Will you let me?"

He knew what she meant and slowly turned over as she sat back to release him. She placed her knees on either side of his waist and kissed him again, her hands roaming over his chest and stomach. He was on fire for her and the bulge in his boxers was certain proof. She inched her way down his body until her fingers were at his waistband. She looked up at him for permission to proceed and he nodded at her. She tugged his boxers down his legs and off onto the floor. Looking at his naked form she licked her lips and planted a kiss to the head before taking him into her mouth as much as she possibly could, using her hand at the base.

"FUCK" He exclaimed and she had to keep from laughing out loud. 

He seldom used that word but she was pleased to see that she could elicit such a response. She worked him slowly and thoroughly and watched him go out of his mind at the same time.

"Lise....I'm going to come, don't you want to...." he warned her, thinking that she'd want to make love.

She released him from her mouth momentarily and kept working him with her hand as she spoke.

"Come - we have plenty of time." She winked as she drew him back into her mouth and he threw his head back with a moan. He threaded his fingers through her hair as though to anchor himself to reality. His moans became more urgent and honestly he was really pleased he'd lasted this long inside her hot mouth. He felt that familiar feeling building and knew he should warn her.

"Lise I'm going to come baby"

Now she'd gone from sweetheart to baby and her cheeks flushed red. It inspired her to keep him in her mouth as he came. He came with a shout and she released him carefully as she felt him soften as he came down from his high. She got up and went to the bathroom sink to spit and rinse her mouth. She looked at herself in the mirror, skin flushed red and hair wild from John running his hands through it. She'd never felt so happy.

She pulled her tshirt off and went to lie down next to him. She's not sure if he'd even noticed that she had left for a moment. He was still breathing hard with his eyes closed. She kissed the tip of his nose impulsively and he wrapped her in his arms, surprised to find her naked against him.

"Oh my God Lise....you're trying to kill me" he joked as she pulled the sheet over them.

"The exact opposite - baby" she returned as she snuggled against his side contentedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think i have an issue with just keeping a story as one character's POV so any suggestions on how not to do that would be greatly appreciated - or is it fine the way it is? I humbly await your comments...or any rotten eggs you want to throw at me!!


	4. Chapter 4

John slowly woke a few hours later - it was nearly dinner time. He stretched as much as he could considering a human radiator was wrapped around him. He loved that - he loved that she couldn't seem to get close enough to him now. They had come a long way in the last few days, he thought to himself. As much as the thought of staying in bed thrilled him, they agreed to clean up and get dressed to order some food and maybe watch a movie.

They ordered Italian and ate in a companiable silence, sharing food and touches along with smiles and looks. As they put their plates into the dishwasher, Lise began to feel a little nervous. They needed to talk about their new situation and try to figure out how where to go from here but she was unsure about how to bring it up. Neither of them were very good at communicating how they felt at the best of times. However, it seemed that he was thinking the same.

"I think we need to talk" he said as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

She turned to face him and nodded.

"Shall we sit down?" She motioned to to the sofa and he followed her sitting down beside her. They faced eachother and both began to speak at the same time and then laughed. John took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.

"You go ahead Lise"

She took a deep breath and began.

"The past few days have been somewhat of a blur I think you'd agree? Now we need to decide how we are going to move forward."

Still with her hand in his, he nodded solemly at her statement.

"I love you Lise - I'm in love with you so I'm ready to do whatever it takes to be with you." he blurted out to her surprise. She couldn't help throwing her arms around his neck and planting a long kiss on his lips.

"Oh John, I love you too - so much. Being so close to you for these last few days - making love with you....it's been more than I dared hope for." She rested her forehead against his as he hummed his agreement. She pulled back from him and looked into his eyes.

"I've taken this new job in Toronto but I feel that we couldn't work togther now anyway." 

He knew deep down she was right. There should be no reason to reproach them about decisions made, especially when their colleagues' or civillian's lives are at stake. He knew he would have to choose Lise's life above anyone else's. The day he saw her get shot cemented that for him.

"Lise.." he searched for the words to tell her how he felt.

"I think you should still go to Toronto." She raised her eyebrows at him and her heart sank ever so slightly.

"And I think that I should retire and follow you in a few months." he smiled at her hopefully.

"Retire? Would you be ok with that?" She was worried about him doing this just for her.

"I think it's time you know. Kelly was right, the job has taken it's toll on me and this last case has brought that home."

"John I don't want you to resent me - what if this doesn't work out?" She gestured between them with a worried look on her face.

He pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"I'm doing it for me as well. I need to start a new life like you said but I think I still want to build the cabin and keep it as a place for us all to come and spend time." 

"But what would you do in Toronto?" She asked him.

"Keep house all day, make love all night!" He said smiling.

She laughed and stroked his face lovingly.

"You would seriously be ok with being at home whilst I go out to work everyday?" She asked.

"And be a kept man? Absolutely baby." She laughed at his relaxed attitude to what she had clearly worried far too much about.

"I mean I will get a decent pension and I do have some money saved. Maybe I can pick up some freelance PI work or something but there's no urgency to decide that now." He said, thinking out loud.

"And in the meantime, we do long distance?" She asked.

"I know it's not going to be ideal but if it's only going to be for a few months I know that we can make it work my love." Her heart soared as their future stretched out in front of them. It hadn't been as hard to talk about their feelings after all - maybe they could learn to be more open together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No thriller all filler this one!! I look forward to receiving your comments!


	5. Chapter 5

Lise slammed the door of the apartment behind her and sank down on the sofa in the dark. It had been three weeks since she moved to Toronto and she was becoming frustrated with her new position. It was a much larger team and she was stuck in the office most days. She tried to tell herself that she was on the fast track to promotion and had been assured she would make it to Sergeant within the year but it wasn't what she thought it would be. She reached over to turn on the lamp and smiled at the photo on the table.

It had been taken the weekend before she finally made the move and John had framed it and given it to her as a going away present. They had visited the site for the new cabin and he had suggested they take a selfie. Just as they posed he proceeded to tickle her so they both had beaming smiles in the beautiful spring backdrop of the lake. Her heart constricted at the sight of his handsome face. He had been unable to visit her yet because he'd caught a big case on the very day she'd left. He had discussed his proposed retirement with Dyson and it was in the works but he'd promised that he would see this case through. Whilst she knew that was important to him she was impatient to see him although she hadn't been able to get away either. So far they were failing miserably at the long distance thing.

She shrugged her coat and boots off sighing. Tying her hair back she took a quick shower to freshen up. As she ran the washcloth over her tired muscles Lise couldn't help but think back to John. She missed him terribly and ached for his touch. She thought of his easy smile and intense gaze as he loomed over her in bed. They had only spent a few weeks together but they definitely made the most of them. John was a generous lover and surprisingly a very energetic one. It was as though he was making up for lost time with her and she with him. She'd never had such an exciting sex life before and had never expected to have it with a man in his 50s.

She leaned against the warmed tiles and ran her hands over her breasts and down to tease her clit. She had done this many times but it was no longer a good substitute for what she really wanted. Imagining his strong hands replacing hers she shut her eyes and worked herself easily towards a release softly calling his name.

Wearing her confortable leggins and a sweater, she headed into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of white wine. She thanked the universe it was Thursday because she really needed a break. She needed to do some more around the place to make it liveable. She looked around the aparment which was a decent size but it just didn't feel like home yet. 

She sighed heavily as her phone buzzed and prayed she wasn't being called back in when she hadn't even been able to have one sip of the glass of wine she'd just poured. She was relieved when she looked at her phone to see that it was just Kelly.

"Hey Kelly."

"Hey Lise! Are you ok? You sound a little.....meh." Lise smiled at her observation, she wasn't wrong.

"Oh I'm ok, just tired."

"Well I was going to suggest meeting up for dinner but how about I just bring some food to you instead and we can hang out?" Kelly suggested.

"That sounds great, whatever you want, I already have the wine open!" Lise replied happily.

"Excellent, be there in about 45 minutes?"

"Great, see you then sweetie." Lise hung up and mused over her relationship with Kelly as she set out the plates and cutlery. 

They had spent quite a lot of time together since Lise arrived in Toronto. They had shared meals and gone to yoga classes together. Lise knew that John could not have been more pleased at this new closeness between them and to be honest she was too. It was important that Kelly was comfortable with her now that they were going to be in each other's lives indefinitely. A little while later she buzzed Kelly into the building. They ate and talked about their days. Kelly had started dating a new guy but Lise was sworn to secrecy for the meantime. She felt special to be able to hold Kelly's confidence in this way. They were becoming more than good friends and that was fine with her. She would never replace Catherine of course but she wanted to be someone that Kelly could confide in. 

As Lise put the plates into the dishwasher, Kelly received a text.

"Oh it's Dad, checking in. He doesn't know I'm here, let's facetime him!"

"Okay," Lise said, wishing she'd put a little make up on even though she knew that he didn't care. He always thought she was beautiful.

She sat beside Kelly at the breakfast bar as they waited for him to pick up. Then his face came on screen and they both frowned when they saw he had a fresh black eye.

"Dad!"

"John!" They cried simultaneously as they regarded his face.

"Ahh, my pretty girls!" He said happily, trying to ignore their upset. "Now don't fuss I'm ok, I just arrested a guy who didn't take very kindly to it that's all. I caught an elbow to the face but we got him in the end." he said trying to reassure them both.

"What are you guys up to?" 

"We just had dinner."

"Kelly was kind enough to bring it over so that we could hang out." Lise answered, still mildly annoyed about his face. 

"Well that's great! I just got in and bought some take out on the way. Sure wish I was there with you guys." He said whistfully.

"We wish you were here too. We miss you." Lise said, trying to ignore the tears that stung her eyes. 

Kelly suddenly felt as though maybe she should have given them some time alone. She knew they were in love but it seemed to be all consuming - as though one could barely survive without the other. They talked a little more and then said their goodbyes. Lise quietly resumed the tidying up of the kitchen.

"You really miss him a lot huh." Kelly observed as she leaned on the breakfast bar.

"I really do" Lise said with a sigh. "I didn't know it would be this hard." She bit her lip trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

Kelly didn't know what to say to make her feel better so she got up and hugged her instead. Lise was startled at first - Kelly had not hugged her like this before really. Not just because she wanted to. Lise patted Kelly's back gently as they held eachother for a moment. Kelly pulled back and squeezed Lise's hand.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok, it was good to see him. Good to see he hasn't changed a bit!" Lise teased and they both laughed. It was true, he would always been in the thick of the action no matter what and they both knew it.

"He seems so much lighter these past few weeks. I know that's mostly down to you and I'm so glad Lise." Kelly admitted.

"I'm glad you gave him a nudge in my direction or we might not even be having this conversation right now!" Lise exclaimed.

Kelly chuckled and drained her wine glass.

"Nah, I think we would still have had this converstaion, but much later...." She winked as they both laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

The next night at around 7.30pm Lise trudged up the two flights to the apartment wearily. It was a relief to know that she had the weekend to herself. She opened the door to the dark apartment and suddenly had a brainwave. She had the weekend off. So what was she going to do, waste it? She ran inside and threw some things into a bag.

She pulled up to John's apartment building just after midnight. His car was there but it was in darkness. She knew that he was still busy with the case and may not have much time for her but she didn't care, she'd take what she could get. She had decided not to call him to say she was coming - she wanted to to surprise him. She put the key that he had given to her into the lock and pushed inside as quietly as she could. She smiled as she heard his soft snoring from the bedroom. She shut her eyes momentarily as a state of calm washed over her immediately just to be near him again. She moved as carefully as she could in the dark and stripped down to just her underwear. The excitement in her stomach was at a fever pitch as watched him for a moment, curled into the centre of the bed, bare chested and looking utterly irresistible to her. She carefully pulled back the covers and slipped into bed beside him.

He woke with a start but then her face came into focus and he felt her arms coming around him. Half asleep he mirrored her actions and squeezed her in the circle of his arms until she gasped.

"Hi baby," he said, his voice rough with sleep.

"Hi. I hope its ok that I'm here." She said softly.

"Of course it is." he rolled them carefully until she was beneath him. She spread her legs apart to cradle his body between them and sighed contentedly at the intimacy of it.

"I'm so glad to see you. I don't really have anything to do this weekend after all and to be honest I was going to get up early in the morning and head to Toronto to see you!" he admitted as he pressed his lips to hers.

She moaned and opened her mouth immediately deepening the kiss. He ran his hand down the length of her body and she shivered. She broke the kiss and leant her forehead against his as he continued his exploration.

"I'm sorry baby I know you must be tired."

"Well I'm awake now." he said as he gazed at her longingly. She lightly grazed her fingertips over his blackening eye and reached up to kiss it better.

"How's that?" She asked.

"Feels better already," he said jokingly. "You know there are a few other parts of me that may need kissed better, if you are free?"

"I'm very much up for that my love." She responded as her body rose to meet his automatically. She reached down to help him pull of his tshirt and then her tank top. Their movements became more frantic with anticipation. Soon there was nothing between them.

"Please John, I need to feel you inside me." She said as she stroked his length gently.

He groaned and shut his eyes.

"Make love to me John." She pleaded with him.

He drove inside her roughly and she cried out in pleasure. This had become their way of centering each other. Their relationship was much more than this of course, it was a meeting of their minds and souls but the physical aspect of it was important to both of them.

"Yes John, like that please." he began to thrust into Lise with more urgency as she clutched at him tightly.

"Oh Lise, I've missed you so much. You feel so good."

She ground her hips against him desperately. She was so nearly there. She grabbed onto his ass with both hands, wrapping her legs around him tightly, urging him on.

"John I'm so close, don't stop" he hooked his arm underneath her leg and continued his punishing pace as she reached her climax. He felt her tighten around him and he covered her mouth with his as he emptied himself inside her.

Their moans were swallowed by the other as their mouths joined in a sloppy kiss, staying completly still so as not to break the spell they had just cast together.

Finally she cradled his face in her hands, gazing at him lovingly.

"Je t'aime" She said breathlessly. 

He beamed back at her, "I love you too baby. Thank you for coming home."

She kissed him slowly, holding him tight - this was home. Wherever they were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one and I think I'm done - let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! I'd really appreciate your feedback and comments!!


End file.
